I searched for a thread and didn't see any mention of it.
I'm currently in CLT and on the landside away from the counters they have a table set up and 3 TSA screeners randomly asking people if they can check your ID and contents of your bag. I was asked and basically ignored them and walked away - I figured you have no authority till I go through the checkpoint. Yesterday in LIT I noticed a couple of them at the gate I was at and during the boarding process randomly asking passengers to see their BP and ID's.
I take it these are new "enhancements" to the security mission?

The latter is certainly not new and has been going on for quite a while and discussed here extensively. The former seems like an attempt to "spook" potential "bad guys" to make them easier to spot by a BDO, but I haven't seen it reported here before.

Sounds like a certain airport is a wee bit overstaffed.

Mike

As per budget requirements....

Seems to me I experienced this set-up at IAD a few months ago. Haven't seen it locally but the San Antonio airport isn't exactly a major hub. Realize some, maybe many, here think the whole security and TSA stuff is a joke and I'll not debate that but as a survivor of the Pentagon attack I guess I take the security and TSA hassle with a grain of salt. It is what it is.

This is getting worrisome.

This indicates that the TSA is either overstaffed and/or underworked and is trying to generate additional workload for TSOs for whom there is no room at checkpoints.

It's been going on for some time now. Thermal imaging cameras at airport entrances, gate searches, drink testing, the entire SPOT program (which is based on entirely unfounded pseudoscientific principles), VIPR squads at non-transportation-related venues, the list goes on and on...

The answer to the overstaffing problem is not to set up additional "abundance of caution" screening presences. The answer is to cut jobs, cut employment, cut spending. The economy is overtaxed (no pun intended) as it is and this seems to me a pretty clear-cut example of budget fat that could easily and productively be trimmed out.

GWB was lauded for creating jobs when DHS/TSA was founded, but it was clearly an ill-thought-out action as they didn't consider the kind of candidates the jobs would attract. Now that we've seen both

A. The power-hungry types that apply for TSA jobs

and

B. The fact that there is apparently not enough work to go around (coupled with the complete failure to stop even a single terrorist in over 9 years of operation)

It's time for a budget cut. A big one. And lots of job cuts to go with it. If they're so in love with SPOT, then let them keep it until it's proven to be the failure it is, but they definitely need to hand out pink slips to TSOs who, for whatever reason, are deemed unfit to work at actual checkpoints.

There you go, spoiling things by bringing up facts....

They probably shut down one of the screening stations to force more folks through the strip-search machines & free up people for these checks.

I haven't seen this yet. Quite frankly I would've told them what they can do.

I don't doubt the over staffing upstairs, but I will tell them what thay can do with that over staffing. Get their assess down stairs to screen the checked luggage they are drowning in so that the airline gets the bags in time to put them on the planes. When we get bags late because TSA doesn't have the staffing in baggage customers don't blame TSA they blame the airline.

Theatre, harassment, waste of resources... shall I go on?



^



But the flying public does have visibility on what goes on down in the bag room. What good is Security Theatre if nobody can see it?

I do consider screening luggage for bombs something that needs to be done. Put the resources there instead of the stupid stuff the op posted about.

I would love the the TSA to do the pre-checkpoint screening here at PHX.

Citizens are legally allowed to carry sidearms with them inside the airport terminal as long as they are not going airside. Citizens can also carry the sidearms concealed.

Phoenix PD has also put the TSA on notice that they are not to be called by the TSA if someone is seen or found carrying a sidearm landside.

If they ever do try that nonsense at PHX, I am sure I could round up a few friends who have sidearms that would be more than happy to pay a visit to PHX with a gun in a backpack and submit to a search.

I would watch the hilarity ensue.

Recently, in a different airport, I heard a TSO declare to his co-workers that he would go swab some hands, since he didn't have anything else to do...

Security by apathy.

My wife and I both had our backpacks (but not our 30 pound rollaboards) 'inspected' as we reached the door of the jetway in CLT yesterday. The inspection was rediculous as they opened each zippered compartent (7) and looked inside, but did not open anything inside any compartment, like my Bose headphone carrier.
I got the impression that it was all 'make work' and to show the 'kettles' that their government was there protecting them.
Disgusting.

It's pure b/s is what it is